592 APPENDIX. 



flour from New York to Boston for eight and one-half cents per one hundred 

 pounds; other lines, part water and part rail, known as the " Sound Lines," 

 make daily trips between New York and Boston, and carry flour from New 

 York to Boston at nine cents per hundred pounds ; an all-rail line composed of 

 the lines of the defendants upon through billing and through rates to Boston 

 alone on shipments from New York, makes daily runs between these points and 

 carries flour from New York to Boston at nine cents per hundred pounds. Each 

 and all of these carriers are in actual competition for this business, and it 

 involves the carriage of trafiic important in amount. Held, upon the facts, that 

 this is a case in which the circumstances and conditions in the carriage of this 

 commodity are substantially dissimilar at Boston to what they are at Keadville, 

 an interior town about eight miles from Boston, on the line of the all-rail 

 carriers, where no competition exists between the all-rail carriers and the water- 

 lines, and justifies the all-rail carriers in meeting the rate by the water-line at 

 Boston, bv charging nine cents per hundred pounds on flour, while the com- 

 bined local rates of the two rail carriers are higher upon shipments of this kind 

 of freight from New York to Eeadville than they are upon the joint through 

 rate from New York to Boston. 



561. Classification of freight. Freight classification is deemed by the rail- 

 roads convenient and essential to any practical system of rate-making, and is so 

 recognized, though not enjoined by the act to regulate commerce. 



562. Same. When classification is used as a device to eflfect unjust discrim- 

 ination or as a means of violating other provisions of the statute, the act 

 requires the Commission to so revise and correct such classification and arrange- 

 ment as to correct the abuse. 



581. For a special service by a carrier, such as the transportation of perish- 

 able freight requiring quick movement, prompt delivery at destination, special 

 fitting up of cars, th'eir withdrawal from other service, and their return empty 

 on fast time, all involving greater expense to the carrier, a higher rate than for 

 the carriage of ordinary freight is warranted by the conditions of the service, 

 and is reasonable and just. 



582. But the higher rate for a special service should bear a just relation to 

 the value of the service to the traflic, and is not wholly in the discretion of the 

 carrier. While a carrier should be fully compensated, the public interests 

 require that the traflBc should not be rendered valueless to the producer if the 

 charges of the carrier have such an eft'ect and can be reasonably reduced. 



583. The requirement of the statute that all rates shall be reasonable and 

 just involves a consideration of the commercial value of the traffic, and implies 

 "that rates should be so adjusted that producers of traffic, as well as carriers, may 

 carry on their pursuits successfully, if practicable for both, and without injus- 

 tice to the carrier. The public good requires what is plainly the spirit of the 

 law, that the transportation interests are not alone to be considered, but that 

 in the just exercise of regulation care should be taken that the lawful and 

 necessary occupations of citizens are not unjustly burdened. 



586. "The relation of rates ought to rest upon fixed and stable conditions. 

 The fluctuations of markets are so frequent, especially as to competitive 

 articles, and oftentimes unexpected, that commercial considerations alone would 

 not furnish a sufficiently stable and fixed rule for guidance in making a rate 

 that should remain substantially permanent through all fluctuations. The 

 Commission does not, by a fixing of rates, attempt to overcome advantages 

 wliich one producer or dealer may have in his geographical location, and to 

 produce equality between competitors in all markets. It would be a useless 

 task, even if it had the power, to attempt to accomplish such a result. The 

 proper relation of rates for transportation of strictly competitive articles oyer 

 the same line should be determined by reference to respective costs of service 

 ascertained with reasonable accuracy. 



587. Violation by one carrier of principles laid down in this case as govern- 

 ing relative rates (m competitive articles does not justify similar violations by its 

 competitors. 



